Three-quarters of Scottish mid-sized firms back EU

Almost three quarters of Scottish mid-sized firms are in favour of staying in Europe, according to new figures published today by accountancy and advisory firm, BDO.

About 65% across the UK want to stay in Europe and a similar percentage believed that leaving the EU would make it harder to run a successful business.

Latest figures from BDO show that there are more than 2,000 mid-market firms in Scotland employing 440,000 people.

The mid-market is politically and economically important to the UK. While making up only 1% of all UK companies, these firms create 1 in 4 private sector jobs and are responsible for around one third of the UK’s total revenue.

Martin Gill, Head of BDO in Scotland, said:“These businesses are of a size and scale where they will be more likely to be involved in exporting and developing international markets and consequently they will be keen to keep all doors open for trade.”

For these businesses the three most important issues for reforming the EU was cutting red tape and the gold-plating of EU legislation.

Other concerns include improving trade around the world and ‘liberalising markets, making it easier to trade across Europe’. If these changes were made the number of firms which support remaining in the EU rises to 77%.

Martin concluded: “Our survey clearly finds the EU wanting in many ways and businesses are frustrated by the bureaucracy and any intervention of free trade by the Union is obviously disruptive.”